Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new betas coming a month after the introduction of the first betas.

iOS 16
Registered developers can download the iOS 16‌.3 and iPadOS 16.3 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta will be available over the air.

iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 add support for physical Security Keys that can be used as added protection for an Apple ID. Any FIDO Certified physical security key can be linked to an ‌Apple ID‌ to be used for authentication when logging into a new device or otherwise accessing an ‌Apple ID‌.

Security Keys replace the digital verification codes sent to an Apple device when using an ‌Apple ID‌, and Apple says that the physical key provides strong protection against phishing and unauthorized account access. Note that two physical security keys are required when using this feature as there needs to be a backup in case one is lost. Losing a security key would revoke access to an ‌Apple ID‌, as Apple cannot override the protection.

In addition to Security Keys, the beta also adds more instruction for transferring music from an iPhone over to a HomePod using handoff. No other new features have been discovered at this time.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 26.1

Monday November 3, 2025 1:07 pm PST by
Apple today released tvOS 26.1, an update to the tvOS 26 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 26.1 is available on the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD models, but Liquid Glass is only available on the second-generation Apple TV 4K or later. tvOS 26 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the ...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...

Top Rated Comments

Bl0ckHe1d Avatar
37 months ago
Any fix to the Homekit and Matter nightmare?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
37 months ago
Ahhh! After 3 long weeks. It's finally here. Thank you! Rock n Roll iOS 16.3 Beta 2! ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fatTribble Avatar
37 months ago
Can’t say the features are useful to me, but hopefully 16.3 will fix some 16.2 sluggishness.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hovscorpion12 Avatar
37 months ago
The security key feature is my most excited feature
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
37 months ago
Released today

* iOS 16.3 beta 2 (20D5035i) - January 10, 2023
* iPadOS 16.3 beta 2 (20D5035i) -January 10, 2023
* macOS 13.2 beta 2 (22D5038i) - January 10, 2023
* watchOS 9.3 beta 2 (20S5637h) - January 10, 2023
* tvOS 16.3 beta 2 (20K5637g) - January 10, 2023
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
37 months ago
Installing the iPadOS 16.3 beta 2 currently. Being this long a gap I expect some changes/fixes.

There are no new release notes for this beta 2 software update.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)